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It's not a secret to anyone that companies vastly care about money. Some are still interested in their consumers being satisfied with the products – others solely care about profits. Unfortunately, it is a massive problem in our society, and organizations have yet to overcome this issue. 

Corporations will go out of their way to find a method of making even more pennies, and it's fascinating how nowadays we don't really question anything. For instance, one of the best examples would be commercials. Those endless ads you see on a website that don't allow you to binge-watch your favorite video in peace, practically forcing you to get that premium subscription – it's truly a brilliant technique.

Well, this online user took it to one of Reddit's popular communities to ask folks about certain things that might feel normal today, but are just successful propaganda made by companies. The thread received over 61K upvotes in just a few days and almost 40K comments debating over hugely influential business tactics. 

More info: Reddit

#1

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Immigrants are ‘taking’ our jobs, instead of employers seeking to pay criminally low wages to people with fewer choices.

slackfrop , Andy Rogers Report

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Fat Harry
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What a strange assortment of money in that wallet. Several 50p coins, some Euro and Eurocent coins, Euro notes, a £20 note and an Isle of Man £1 note.

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#2

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group The lie, in the US at least, that billionaires and CEOs are self made men and women. Most wealth in this country is inherited and most who claim to be "self made" were already born into wealthy families.

Mcbagelflavor , N A I T Report

#3

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Unpaid internships. They should be banned

marisquo , Underway In Ireland Report

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K Witmer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All those unpaid interns are talking about how the kk family are a bunch of liars after Kim said people don't want to work anymore. Please please don't buy their products.

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#4

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Working 5 days a week for 8 hours a day and still not being able to afford necessities.

jollyrogerbumps , Duc Ly Report

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Ally MacMann
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What makes this worse is the fact it's the result of the very, very few at the top living in obscene luxury.

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#5

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group That global warming is the responsibility of the individual and not about 100 corporations.

Fire__fall , hiroaki maeda Report

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May
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sure, but that doesn't mean you should buy a Hummer and throw plastic in the sea.

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#6

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Referring to insurance as "healthcare"

Insurance companies do not provide healthcare. They have inserted themselves as middlemen. Physicians, nurses, etc. provide healthcare. Insurance provide payment for costs that are inflated because insurance companies provide payment.

armahillo , Presidencia de la República Report

#7

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Logo T-Shirts. The consumer literally pays to advertise a brand.

Powerful-Reaction284 , retna karunia Report

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User# 6
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, this. Why don't people who proudly display ther Hermes belt or Gucci handbag realise they're basically the unpaid version of the guy wearing a sandwich board advertising a caf?

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#8

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group "Ask your doctor if JDGYRHKX is right for you!" WTF isn't that his job? I don't ask my mechanic or plumber if I need a certain product. Pharmaceutical marketing is a total ruse.

patches181 , Herry Lawford Report

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#9

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Dandelions are weeds. They’re actually very nutritious and great for pollinators. Big Grass are a bunch of d**kheads

culnaej , Bob Jenkins Report

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Susie Elle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Technically, weeds don't exist at all. Where I live, they've now been rebranded to "wild flowers and plants" and are actively being handed out to plant everywhere because, as it turns out, bees are better off with more of these types of plants than they are with the garden varieties. Or so I've been told.

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#10

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Attaching health insurance to your job and if you have a family and leave your job, you're f**ked.

Ennion , Scott Garner Report

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Huddo's sister
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I never understood why/how this started in the US. I don't think anywhere else in the world has it tied to their job.

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#11

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Sugar industry blaming fatty foods for obesity, sparking the low-fat trends and ignoring how bad sugar is for your health.

BlackSage8 , Lisa Risager Report

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T.Milly
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Back in the 90's, fat was considered to be the cause behind obesity, hence the "fat-free" or "reduced fat" food trend.

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#12

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Politicians being a middleman for corporations to influence government policies, instead of middlemen for the people to influence government policies.

OneTwoKnow , Bernt Rostad Report

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Powerful Katrinka
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court practically guaranteed that this would happen. Equating corporate money with free speech was one of the most destructive legal decisions in the last 100 years.

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#13

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Planned obsolescence

Lenny_III , Cristiano Betta Report

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Zaza
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So some company, many years ago, made nylon stockings. All the workers were given a pair for their wives to try out. They discontinued making the same stockings, because they were high quality and never wore out, so these ladies never had to buy new pairs. They purposely made crappier ones after that. A lot of companies are doing it and it should be illegal. Not only because of the morality, but also because of the toll it takes on our environment to create (and have to transport and put to waste) 10x time amount of stuff that would otherwise be necessary

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#14

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Plastics Recycling.

It was pushed by the plastics industry back in the early 70s when laws were about to be passed to deal with the environmental impact of plastics. In reality a lot of the plastics that have a little recycling symbol on them are not feasible to recycle at all.

They are still pushing the lie to this very day.

FriendlyWisconsinite , Alan Levine Report

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Huddo's sister
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And they ship them off to poorer countries to handle because 'we don't have those capabilities'.

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#15

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Everything about wedding and engagement rings

Justa_little_wrath , Christine Warner Report

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Sasquatch The Almighty
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Everything about weddings, imho. Such a con. I played in a wedding band a couple weeks ago. We were paid obscene money. I overheard a woman explaining to a friend that she and her fiance had saved $30k toward their wedding and therefore were about halfway there. I just find spending that on a one-day party to be absurd, I wouldn't expect someone to drop 30k just to show they love me. Good gods, just tell each other you love each other and put the money towards a house

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#16

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group That diamonds are forever.. as in indestructible.

RonDeoo , Géry Parent Report

#17

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Buying bottled tap water.

Whosyouranimedaddy , Alper Çuğun Report

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Huddo's sister
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes! I can only see the point if it's an area where the tap water is undrinkable.

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#18

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group The whole work grind and everything associated with it. 40+ hour work week, health insurance tied to it, the need for daycare $$$, time spent commuting…how did all that ever become normal?

claire0 , Michael Cannon Report

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Emmett O'Brian
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because unions fought to get the work week down to 40 hours. Corporations wanted you to work 12 hour days seven days a week.

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#19

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Diamonds.

Real men eat meat.

That cost of printer ink.

IndigoTrailsToo , Abdillah Wicaksono Report

#20

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Sending your DNA in for sequencing is a fun and easy way to find out things about yourself, at least according to companies who contractually retain the rights to any and all findings, don't give a s**t about your medical privacy, and are constantly looking for ways to monetize that information.

ThadisJones , Petra B. Fritz Report

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Mermaid Elle-Jaye
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I found my dads mum and family this way, no regrets and I’m a nobody, they can keep my dna 😂

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#21

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group That it is ok to produce a ton of single-use packaging as long as you don’t “litter” it.

AmateurOntologist , Emma Jane Report

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Huddo's sister
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I really wish the government would bring in regulations to limit the use of single use packaging. They banned plastic shopping bags of a certain thickness, but have not gone any further. (In Australia)

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#22

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Most products made for the care of babies. Babies need very little in the way of furniture, gear, special foods etc. But people are so willing to buy so much stuff.

lexrp , INGURALDE Report

#23

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" was a marketing campaign used by Kellogs to help sell their cereal.

-eDgAR- , Mike Barry Report

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Robert T
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You haven't met me before I've had my breakfast and that all important first cup of coffee! If you do, you'll soon change your mind!

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#24

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Companies like Intuit have lobbied to make sure filing taxes can't be free and easy.

FunnOnABunn , 401(K) 2012 Report

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Jenny Shmurak
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

US is weird. The government already has all your information. In most countries people don't need to file taxes every year, unless they own a business.

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#26

Women shaving. In the US, Women shaving any part their bodies wasn’t even a thing before WWII, but all the men got drafted to war and razor companies took a big hit, so they successfully convinced all of us that natural hair growing anywhere out of a woman’s body besides her hair and eyebrows is disgusting.

I’m talking specifically about western culture/the United States. Evidence of ancient Greeks and Egyptians/etc shaving has no relevance in this instance.

Barfignugen Report

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Huddo's sister
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was also the fact that there were silk and nylon shortages during the war, so women's legs were on show so unshaven legs were noticeable. Then of course you had the swimwear fashion changing in the 60s+ and more skin was seen. The swimwear companies wouldn't show models with bikini lines in their ads, so razor companies profited from this too.

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#27

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Terms of service agreements example when you buy a phone do you read all 30 pages of your service agreement letting you know that they have basically proprietary control over everything you say and do.

WolfThick , Sean MacEntee Report

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Suzi Q
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Years ago one company hid a prize in the terms and conditions that you only got if you read them.) It had instructions to claim the prize.) It might have been Apple, anybody remember that? I don't think that would happen today because the trick would be blasted on social media and defeat the incentive to read them.

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#28

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group The way we celebrate holidays is much more of a production than it used to be - Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day. Just more excuses to consume c**p en masse.

Share-Shuffle , Shetland Arts Report

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Guy MacGregor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what does "c**p" means? English isn't my first language and slang isn't my strong suit.

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#29

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group That you need to drink milk in order to get calcium. Calcium is a mineral and can be found in leafy greens and broccoli to name a couple. The whole, “got milk?” campaigns and all that were funded by the dairy industry. Pretty successful propaganda!

ur-squirrel-buddy , Mike Mozart Report

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Suzi Q
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nothing wrong with drinking milk if you like it. If you don't, there's other sources of calcium. Calcium absorbs better in an acidic environment, that's why Tums is not a good calcium supplement. It doesn't have an acidic environment. Calcium citrate is best absorbing.

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#30

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Buying a diamond ring when you propose

thealchimistguy , ljv Report

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Julia Winfield
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

100% agree. Pointless. Use the money for something important and worthwhile. Down payment on something..or an emergency fund. A year after I was proposed to we sold the ring. He didn't pay for it so we just profited off it. Never regretted it.

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#31

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Mothers Day. The original intent was to have a holiday to appreciate mothers, corporations ended up making it a big money grab, and then the person who petitioned for mothers day spent the rest of their life trying to get the holiday removed.

_Royal_Insylum , Nenad Stojkovic Report

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Got Myself 4 Dwarves
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't want anything shop bought for Mother's Day, I couldn't care less - I live getting handmade cards from my kids, breakfast in bed and having them take over for a day - zero money involved, ideal day for me to sit and relax

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#32

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group An entire nurdle of toothpaste on your brush.

You don't need that much. A pea-sized amount is enough.

starstarstar42 , Kenneth Lu Report

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#33

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group COMMERCIALS. they’re everywhere, YouTube, TV, Hulu, Spotify, etc. the only way to get rid of commercials is to, surprise surprise, pay more which is ANOTHER commercial. Just now realizing that commerce is the basis of commercial lol

Psychological-Site-9 , kotnikFollow Report

#34

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Credit Ratings

DexterJameson , 401(K) 2012 Report

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Robert T
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are utter BS. Your credit score will go down when you finally make that last mortage payment! "But I have no debt" "We only want to know whether you are able to make the payments on the debt you already have"

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#35

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Not discussing your income with coworkers. At least in the US, employees are protected, so they are allowed to discuss income amongst each other without fear of getting fired for it. However, a lot of companies have kept the idea that it is taboo or that your job may be at risk for doing so and a lot of people still buy it to this day.

Yes, most people that live in the US know that all states (except Montana) are "at-will" states, meaning that they can fire you for no reason at all, meaning that while technically they won't fire you for discussing pay, some companies will not like it and find any excuse to let you go, so keep that in mind.

Also, some companies will try to stop if right off the bat by having it in your employee handbook that you are not to discuss pay, so make sure you check that out in your case. My company actually has the opposite, stating that they will never go after someone for discussing pay, and they even have it posted in public areas. However, I'm not naive and understand that while it may seem that way, they can just be doing that to protect themselves, so who knows. I've been there for a few years now and we have not heard of anyone getting fired for anything that could be even remotely related to pay discussions.

The point of my comment was to let people know that the idea of discussing your pay with other employees being a "no-no" or taboo is an antiquated idea started by greedy companies decades ago to help keep the average worker from demanding better wages that they rightfully should be getting in the first place, and that legally they can't outright fire you simply for doing that (with exceptions, of course). I myself have no issues letting anyone know how much I make if they ask, and if they use that to get themselves properly compensated, then I'm happy for them at the end of the day.

Chico119 , Mitchell Laurren-Ring Report

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#36

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Apple

Whoever is behind the apple marketing campaign is a genius and flooding the consumers with propaganda. There's no real correlation between how many apples you eat each a day and how often you visit the doctor or get sick

Brian_Gay , Neil Turner Report

#37

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group People eating KFC during Christmas time in Japan because of KFC's marketing campaign that promoted their products as a traditional Western Christmas treat.

ClementinaGriffie , Marufish Report

#38

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Merch drops, secret popup locations, limited runs, etc.

These are just marketing tactics to create Artificial Scarcity and hype/demand that wouldn't be there otherwise.

TheMiddleManz , Phil Cloud Report

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Jessica Rabbit
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is just using the business rule of supply and demand...In this instance they have to create a demand and pretend that the supply is low in order to justify the higher costs...

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#39

40 Ideas People Believe To Be Normal But Are Actually Propaganda Created By Corporations, According To Folks In This Online Group Carrots helping you see in the dark was WW2 propaganda to confuse the Germans.

-eDgAR- , Tony Alter Report

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Susie Elle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Carrots contain beta carotene which is metabolized into vitamin A, which is important in proper functioning of the eyes. One of the first signs of Vitamin A deficiency is night blindedness. So I guess it's not that far-fetched, although carrots won't give you night vision :)

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#40

“You should pay off debt by getting more debt!”

Wit-Hoid6674 Report

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jammer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Out gov gets heat for doing that. The problem conveniently ignored is that previous gov took high-interest loan. Current gov got negative interest loan, which is used to pay off the high-interest loan. I’d call that smart.

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